The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-07-15

to 90 out on voyage Of discovery which
shall reveal vaster and more different
country John Franklin risked his
life to find passage between
icebergs, and shall we dread to ind q pas.
sage to eternal summer Men in Swift
zerland travel up the heights Of the Mat
terhorn with alpenstock and guides and
rockets and ropes, and getting half way
up, stumble and fall down in horrible
massacre. They Just want to say they
had been on the tops OF those high peaks.
And shall we fear to 60 out for the ascent
of the eternal hills, which start thou
sand miles beyond where stop the highest
peaks of the Alps, and when in that as
cent there Ia no perilP A man doomed to
die stepped on the scaffold and said In Joy:
''Now, in ten minutes will know the
great secret" One minute after the vital
functions ceased the little child that died
last night in Montague street knew more
than Jonathan Edwards, or st. Paul him
self, before he died. Friends, the exit
from this world or death, IL you please to
call it, to the Christian Is glorious expla-
nation. 1t Is demonstration. 1t Is illu.
mination. 1t is sunburst. 1t is the open
ing of all the windows. It Is shutting up
the catechism Of doubt and the unrolling
Of all the scrolls Of positive and &C.
curate information. Instead Of stand
ing at the foot of the ladder and looking
up, it is standing at the top Of the
ladder and looking down. 1t is the last
mystery taken out of botany, and geology,
and astronomy, and theology. Oh, will 1t
not be grand to have all questions an
sweredq The perpetually recurring inter-
rogation point changed for the mark Of
exclamation. All riddles solved. Who
will fear to 60 out on that discovery; when
all the questions are to be decided which
we have been discussing all our lives!
Who shall not clap his hands in the anti
cipation of that blessed country, if it be
no better than through holy curiosity, cry
ing: "The time Of my departure is at
hand"
Iremark, again, we ought to have the
Joy of the text, because, leaving this
world, we move into the best society Of
the universe. You see great crowd Of
people in some street, and you say:
'sWho is passing thereP What general,
what prince is going up there'" Well, I
see great throng in heaven. 1say: "Who
Is the focus of all that admiration? Who
is the center of that glittering company"
It is Jesus, the champion Of al worlds, the
favorite of all ages. Do you know what
is the first question the soul will ask when
it comes through the gate Of heaven!
think the first question will be: "Where
is Jesus, the Saviour that pardoned my
sin; that carried my sorrows; that fought
my battles; that won my victories?" 0
radiant One! how / would like to see Thee!
Thou Of the manger, but without its
humiliation; Thou of the cross, but with
out its pangs; Thou Of the grave, but
without its darkness.
The Bible intimates that we will talk
with Jesus in heaven just as brother
talks with brother. Now, what will
you ask him nrst9 do not know. lean
think what would ask Paul first, If saw
him in heaven. think would like to
hear him describe the storm that came
upon the ship when there were 275 souls
on the vessel, Paul being the only man on
board cool enough to describe the storm.
There is a fascination about a ship and the
sea that shall never get over, and think
would like to hear him talk about that
first But when / meet my Lord Jesus
Christ, of what shall I first delight to hear
Him speak? Now think what it is.
shall first want to hear the tragedy of his
crucifxion, and Marks account Of the
crthffxipn, ind Johnsg HccUunsuf tnvcfue
cifixion will be nothing, while from the
living lips Of Christ the story shall be told
of the gloom that fell, and the devils that
arose, and the fact that upon his
endurance depended the rescue Of a race;
and there was darkness in the sky, and
there was darkness in the soul, and the
pain became more sharp, and the burdens
became more heavy, until the mob began
to swim away from the dying vision of
Christ, and the cursing of the mob came
to his ear more family, and his hands
were fastened to the horizontal piece of
the cross, and his feet were fastened to
the perpendicular piece of the cross, and
his head fell forward in swoon as he
uttered the last moan ard cried ut is
finishedp' All heaven will stop to listen
until the story is done, and every harp
VIII be put down, and every lip closed,
and all eyes fixed upon the divine nara
tor, until the story is done; and then, at
the tap of the baton, the eternal orchestra
will rouse up; finger on string of harp,
and lips to the mouth Of trumpet, there
shall roll forth the oratorio Of the Mes
siah: Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain to receive blessing, and riches, and
honor, and glory, and power, world with
out end!''
What he endured, oh, who can tell.
To save our souls from death and helli
When there was between Paul and that
magnificent parsonage only the thinness
of the sharp edge of the sword of the exc
cutioner, do you wonder that he wanted
to go? Oh, my Lord Jesus, let one wave
of that glory roll over this auditoryl
Harkl hear the wedding bells Of heaven
ringing now. The marriage Of the Lamb
has come, and the bride hath made her
self ready.
ODDS AND ENDS.